Do you struggle to build wood shelving units? The job can be made very simple if you have nice metal connectors for the corners and intermediate connections points. They are readily available. Not only that, excellent plans and step-by-step construction help is also available.
The Simpson Strong-Tie Company, Inc. makes a full line of pre-bent galvanized metal connectors that allow you to construct workbenches, shelving units, simple shelves, etc. with no hassles whatsoever. This is the same company that makes a full line of joist hangers and other structural framing connectors that we carpenters/builders use on a daily basis.
They have a wonderfully illustrated catalog showing these specialized garage storage metal accessories. It is called the Do-It-Yourself Construction Connectors Catalog. They also have some great project plans available for free download in PDF format. Check out their Dealer Locator to find the dealer nearest you.
Who among us hasn't been frustrated with traditional saw horses? Flimsy ones that collapse are virtually useless. In fact, they are actually dangerous should they give way while you are cutting a piece of plywood or a large 2x12. Sturdy saw horses are cumbersome. They are tough to store and often not stackable unless you custom build them.
What's more, the narrow top surface of a traditional saw horse provides little space to set something. Common sense tells you that an alternative might be better.
Chuck's Idea
The idea and concept for the carpenter's bench I use came from a past friend of mine, Chuck Sallee. He was a carpenter I met about 23 years ago. Chuck and I were actually business partners for a short time with some other fellows.
One day, we needed some sawhorses for a job and none were available. One of the helpers suggested using the customer's garbage cans. I nixed the idea having ruined one 6 months earlier (I cut right through the edge of one of those plastic cans...).
Chuck saw some scrap lumber nearby and went to work. Using some 3/4 inch plywood scraps and cut off sections of 2x12, he produced a strong and efficient bench (saw horse) in about 30 minutes.
Revisions
As time went on, we started to make alterations to the original plan. The shelf at the bottom of the bench was the first revision. It proved to be a great place for us to store nails, shims, hand tools, and just about anything.
We also lengthened the bench to make it a more stable platform for our power miter box saws. Soon it was evident that the bench was a multipurpose tool.
The Cut List
OK, for you to make your own bench you need some plywood or OSB board, some 2x12's and about 30 or 40 2.5 inch long galvanized screws.
If you buy an 8 foot long 2x12 and a single 4x8 sheet of 3/4 inch plywood, you will have enough material to make 2 benches.
Here is the cut list to make a single bench:
1 pc. 3/4 plywood 14 3/4" x 32" (for the Top)
4 pcs. 3/4 plywood 3" x 30" (the four side Braces)
1 pc. 3/4" plywood 11 1/4" x 27" (the bottom Shelf)
2 pcs. 2 x 12 11 1/4" wide x 23 1/4" long (the Legs)
A friend of mine wondered why I just didn't make the top 15 inches by 32 inches. Well, you can. I just used the 14 3/4 inch dimension so that the top would have a consistent 1 inch overhang on all sides. If you decide to cut it 15 inches wide, no problem. Simply center the top on the bench frame and you will be just fine.
Outdoor Use
If you want your bench to withstand all sorts of weather, you can do this quite easily. All you need to do is cut out all of the material and then coat all sides and edges of each piece with two coats of clear urethane or the paint of your choice BEFORE you assemble it. If you take this extra step, the bench can survive for years with little or no rotting. I can assure you that if you urethane it, the bench will be most handsome!
If you decide to do this, be sure you take the time to sand the top edges or use a router with a decorative ogee bit to dress the outer edge and the inside edge of the handhold. The routed edge really gives the bench a finished look.
WARNINGS!
There are two warnings I must tell you:
1. If you use the bench as a step stool, it can tip on you if you move about too quickly or you get up on it too fast. I do NOT recommend that you use the bench for a step stool. I must tell you that I have fallen from it as it tipped over.
2. If you let a friend, neighbor, or in-law see your bench(s), you will probably be "enlisted" to help make some for them!
Once the pieces are cut for your bench, you should be able to easily assemble the entire bench in less than 15 minutes. I actually filmed the construction of one from start to finish for a TV segment. From the time I started measuring to cut the pieces out, to the time I turned off the router, only 23 minutes had passed!
Here are the different parts needed to build the bench.
Assemble two of the side braces. Remember to keep these up at least 4 inches or so from the bottom of the legs.
All side braces are installed.
Install the top and fasten it.
The bottom shelf fits into place.
The completed bench with the convenient hand hold cutout. I'll bet you build more than one bench too!
Closet building is a great project for a beginner. It takes minimal carpentry, drywall and painting skills to accomplish this project. What's more, if you use quick setting joint compound, you can actually complete a simple closet project in just two days. I have personally completed jobs like this in a short amount of time, but everything went just right. With proper planning, you can do it too!
Think Before You Act
The plan for your closet can be drawn on a napkin or the back of a paper bag. It doesn't have to be sophisticated. What you are looking for is accuracy in your dimensions.
Use your existing closets as a guide. Are they deep enough or possibly too deep? Are there tough to reach corners because the door is too small? Is there wasted space inside the closet because it is too narrow and too tall inside? In other words, determine what would be the perfect interior dimensions for your perfect closet! Using a tape measure, you can accomplish this planning task in about 15 minutes.
Full Height Walls
If you have decided to go with floor to ceiling walls you need to know something. You can't build these walls on the ground/floor and then tilt them up into place. The walls will get pinched when you get them close to the ceiling. The only time you can do this is when the ceiling plaster or drywall is not in place. You can then tilt the walls up and tuck the top of the wall between two ceiling joists. Once the wall is straight up and down you can then slide it into position under the floor joists.
Most of you will not have this option. You need to build the walls in place, one piece at a time. Be sure that you check each wall stud for a crown. A crown is a hump in the stud that you see when you look down the 1.5 wide edge of a stud. If the crowns do not all point or face the same direction, your wall(s) will be wiggly once drywalled.
Blocking
If you want to avoid the use of strong language when you are in the last stages of this project - installing the shelves and clothes hanging poles - you better think about installing blocking in the walls before you hang drywall.
Years ago carpenters routinely installed solid scraps of 2x4 material within walls. These blocks allow the screws for just about any fixture to find solid material instead of hollow drywall cavities. All you need to do is calculate where shelves, poles and any other bracket might be placed. Then use 2x4 material placed on its side in between wall studs to create your blocks. Turning them on their side gives you a 3.5 inch wide target area. If you have larger scraps such as 2x6's or 2x8's then you will end up with a larger target.
The Door Wall
If this is your first wall and door hanging project, you need to take a few precautions to avoid additional cursing. The rough opening you create for the door must be plumb, square AND in the same plane. It is the "same plane" aspect that most people forget. If the rough opening for the door is twisted (NOT in the same plane) then you will have a nightmare trying to get your door installed.
Here is how to get the door in the same plane. The bottom plate of the door wall MUST be continuous. In other words install the entire bottom plate as you start building the walls. Be sure to use perfectly straight top and bottom plates, and make sure that they are directly over one another. Use a plumb bob for this alignment task.
Door rough openings usually have a king stud that runs continuous between the top and bottom plate on each side of the opening. You then add the flat stud to create the rough head of the door. Then you pack or add cut cripple studs that go next to the king stud beneath the rough horizontal header. It is vitally important that the king studs on each side (MOST definitely the hinge side of the door!) of the rough opening are crown and bow free studs. This means that they are select grade - perfectly straight. If you do all of these things and install the king studs plumb, your finish door installation will be a breeze. Oh, yes, after the drywall is installed, use a hand saw or reciprocating saw to cut out the exposed portion of the bottom plate that you still see!
Closet Lighting
Thinking about installing lights in your closet? Most rookies wire up for an exposed pull chain bulb fixture. Want to know how much of a mistake this is? Just go to your local firehouse and talk with the fire fighters. They will tell you that people leave these lights on, some clothes fall against them and POOF, smoke/fire! Follow the most recent National Electric Code requirements and install lights according to code.
Here is the simplest of plans. A closet you can add in the corner of an existing room.
In this example, an existing room corner is shown. Those walls are not filled in. The closet walls have been shaded. The interior of the finished closet is two feet. The overall length of the outside of the closet is seven feet.
The portion of the wall taken up by the bi-fold doors is not shaded but you know that there is a bulkhead wall above the doors that fills in between the top of the doors and the existing ceiling, right? If you are stumped by this, you better call in a remodeler!
Closet Plan #1 Material List
13 - 2x4 x8'
2 lbs. 16d sinker nails
6 - 4x8x1/2 drywall
1 - 8' length of corner bead
2 - gallons of drywall joint compound
2 lbs. 1 1/4" drywall nails
1 - set 4'0" Bi-fold Doors with jamb
6 - 7' pieces of door casing
16 lineal feet of baseboard
1 qt. primer/sealer paint
1 qt. finish wall paint
8 lineal feet of pole and plank or wire shelving
Closet Plan #2 - Let's Get Serious
Option number two that I offer to you is no more than a larger walk in closet with a standard door. Depending upon where you place it, you may only need to build two walls or possibly three if the closet is centered on a wall. If you center the closet on a longer wall, remember that you can create nice alcoves on either side or perhaps a window type seat with storage below the seat.
The width and depth of this closet is variable - keep in mind though that the inside walls on either side of the door must be wide enough for clothes hangers. You can get away with 22 inches from the wall to the edge of the door frame if you are tight on space. The three foot walkway is plenty of room to maneuver. Beware of exposed light bulbs in closets. The National Electric Code is very restrictive about these. They have caused many a fire!
Closet Plan #2 Material List
25 - 2x4 x8'
3 lbs. 16d sinker nails
8 - 4x8x1/2" drywall
2 - 8' length of corner bead
3 - gallons of drywall joint compound
2 lbs. 1 1/4" drywall nails
1 - 3'0" x 6' 8" Door with jamb
1 - Door knob
5 - 7' pieces of door casing
30 lineal feet of baseboard
1 qt. primer/sealer paint
1 qt. finish wall paint
10 lineal feet of pole and plank or wire shelving
Material List Notes for Closet Plans 1 & 2
The materials required to build an extra closet are minimal. Some of them may already be stashed in your garage or basement. The most expensive item is usually the door(s) and/or wire shelving kits. Just about all the materials are user friendly. The toughest material item to work will be the door(s). If you haven't been trained in how to hang a door, be prepared for some frustration. Be sure to paint the top and bottom edge of the door(s) to prevent warping and twisting of the door(s).
Clamps, tools, paint cans, nails, etc. all seem to gravitate towards my workbench. Possibly yours is the same - or soon will be! An inferior workbench or one that wobbles is useless and can be dangerous. A fully loaded workbench with supplies, its own components, tools, etc. can easily weigh in at over 500 lbs. You don't want something like that collapsing on you or your kids! If you follow the plans I have developed, your workbench will not collapse - that I can assure you!
A Simple Job
Building this workbench is really quite simple. The cut sheet of materials is very straightforward. The biggest challenge is cutting the plywood straight. You can achieve straight cuts if you use the factory edge of a new piece of plywood as a guide. Simply calculate where the edge of the saw base stops in relation to the actual saw blade cut. Draw this line, clamp the edge of the new piece of plywood to the pencil line and cut away. The result is a perfect cut each time. You should actually keep a six inch wide piece of plywood around for this purpose. It will come in handy on other projects.
The cut list that follows tells you exactly how long to make each piece of wood for the work bench. The 3-D drawings show you the order of assembly. The only place you can make a mistake is when you pre-assemble the frames. Be sure that the 54" pieces overlap the 20" pieces. This way each completed frame will be 54 inches long and 23 inches wide. Everything else from that point is very cut and dried.
The Bottom Shelf
The bottom shelf goes in much easier if you cut it out and make a notch for the legs before you install the second frame. You must make both frames identical. Once all four legs are attached to the first frame, you can then cut out of the bottom shelf and lay it in between the legs and on top of the first frame. You then slide the bottom frame down the legs 11 and 1/4 inches. Bolt the frame to the legs and flip the workbench base over. The shelf will drop down to the top of the bottom frame and be in position! If you try to install the shelf after both frames are in place, you may get into a bind!
The Hardwood Top
The hardwood top of my workbench sets it apart from all others I have seen. Oak is a super durable wood. It can take all you can dish out. Once completed and urethaned, it makes for an attractive and easy to care for surface. Oil, dirt and paint wipe right off if you attend to spills immediately.
You start the top by laying the hardwood pieces carefully to the edges. It is important that they are flush with the edge of the plywood so that the final hardwood edge band fits well. If you do anything, be a sixteenth of an inch short from the edge! You can always fill the tiny crack with wood filler and sand it before you urethane.
When you sand the hardwood after it is installed, just use a simple belt sander. The top doesn't have to be as smooth as a hardwood floor. Take the sander along the corner of the hardwood edge band and slightly "ease" it or bevel it. The sharp 90 degree corner can damage you or items as you work on them.
L Brackets
Do NOT screw the plywood top through the top into the top frame and the legs. If you do this, it will be nearly impossible to remove the top from the frame at a later date. I actually got this idea from a workbench that I received as a gift. An old neighbor was moving and offered his basement workbench. I knew it wouldn't fit up the steps. He said, "Yes it will. I built it so it can be taken apart!" Sure enough, we had the top off the workbench outside in about 10 minutes! A future granddaughter/grandson will appreciate it when you take the time to install the L brackets in your workbench. Be sure you square up the top to the frame with consistent overhangs before you attach the L brackets.
Fancy Plans
Workbench Magazine had a great plan for a workbench in the October 1997 issue of their magazine. It is similar to my workbench but offers the option of some drawers. Their plan is not for a beginner! The designer wants you to use mortise and tenon joints at the legs to make the base rock solid. My design achieves the same goal.
If you want a super attractive workbench you might want to blend their plan with mine. I am thinking of doing it myself one day. Check out this and other workbench plans offered by the magazine.
This workbench will set you back a little bit of money - possibly $150 - but it will last several generations. The workbench is incredibly strong if you assemble it with 3.5 inch long screws or 1/4 inch lag bolts where the frames attach to the legs. Once built, the workbench will support well over 1,000 pounds. If you plan to move it or take it with you for any reason, do NOT screw the plywood top down into the 2x4 frames. Remember, once the hardwood top is in place, you can't get to those screws. A better method would be to use eight L brackets under the top.
I suggest you use treated 4x4's for the legs. These can take abuse and can get wet with no concern whatsoever. Untreated lumber is susceptible to rot over time. All other materials can be untreated lumber. Use square edge plywood for the top - not tongue and groove subflooring. You want a smooth surface to act as a guide for the oak edging. Remember, the only time you can use nails is when you nail the oak flooring to the plywood top. All other fasteners need to be screws or lag bolts!
The offcuts from the two sheets of plywood can be used to make a shelf unit or two that can sit on the back of the workbench. Use your imagination and make a multi-level system depending upon your tools and needs.
Top: 1 pc. 4 x 8 x 3/4" CDX plywood - cut to 27.5" x 70.5" 19 square feet of 3/4 x 2.25 inch strip oak flooring
Stabilizing Frames: Two 2x4's by 10 feet long - cut two 54" pieces each One 2x4 by 8 feet long - cut four 20 inch pieces
Bottom Shelf: 1 piece 4 x 8 x 3/4 inch CDX plywood - cut to 54" x 23" - make appropriate notches at each corner depending upon size of legs.
Legs: One 4x4 x 14' CCA Treated Post - cut 4 pieces exactly 31.5" long
Fasteners: 16 - 3.5" x 1/4" lag bolts with washers 16 - 3" coarse thread screws for frames 8 - 2" x 2" L brackets with necessary 1.5" screws 2 lbs - 6d flooring nails
Clutter..... ACCCCKKKK! What a waste of time looking for things or stepping over boxes and cartons of stuff. I have had to do this at my house too many times. I've found the best solution is to build custom shelves that maximize storage space and accommodate the items that I have.
My system is actually one I modified. My wife Kathy and I bought our second home in 1976. I think the house was built in the early 1900's based upon the solid stone foundation. In the basement, a carpenter had built some handy shelving. He used 1x6's and other 3/4 inch material to build the system. It was a brilliant piece of work that allowed me to store heavy tools, boxes of nails and electric motors. I had tried to do this on some prefabricated metal shelving, but the metal shelves bent!
Two to Three Hours and Presto!
If you have any experience with cutting lumber, and you have a few handy tools, you can build my shelf system in less than four hours. The biggest challenge will be attaching the system to a masonry wall. I had to do this in my own basement. To achieve this goal, you will need to rent or borrow a masonry hammer drill with a 1/4 inch drill bit. If you are attaching the shelves to a wood wall, this is a piece of cake!
The Cut List
Let's start out with an easy set of shelves - those that require a minimum of cutting. Your best bet is a shelf system eight feet long. Let's build a system with five shelves all the same depth. Here is the cut lumber list you need just before you start to assemble the system:
5 pieces of 1/2 inch plywood 11 7/8 inch wide by 8 feet long
5 pieces of 2x2 eight feet long
5 pieces of 2x3 eight feet long
2 pieces of 2x4 eight feet long
The plywood shelf depth is 1/8 inch less than 11 inches for a reason. This will allow you to get four pieces from a 4 by 8 foot piece of plywood.
The 2x4's will need to be cut, but I can't tell you the height because I don't know how high off the floor your last shelf will be AND I don't know if your basement floor is level.
The Legs
The only difficult part of building the shelves is the final height of the 2x4 vertical legs. Here is how I do it. I install all of the 2x2s on the back wall at predetermined heights. I then build the shelves by attaching the front of the shelf to the 1.5 inch edge of the 2x3 front shelf beam supports. You then take one of the shelves and screw down through the back of the shelf into the top 2x2 wall cleat. I like to put screws every one foot on center. If you have decent coordination, you will not need any help doing this.
It is now time to set your first vertical leg. If you want the top of the 2x4 to be flush with the top shelf (my preference), you need to make sure the 2x4 can stand vertically without hitting the ceiling. If it doesn't, trim it off a little. Take a short level, the 2x4 and stand on a ladder at one end of the shelf. Place the 2x4 so it projects about 16 inches out from the wall down at the floor. Hold it plumb next to the top shelf and use the small level to level the shelf. Since the 2x4 should be higher than the shelf, use a pencil to mark where the shelf passes by the vertical 2x4. Cut it off at this mark and then attach it to the 2x3 front shelf beam using two three inch long drywall screws. Do the same thing for the other end of the shelves. You can't necessarily cut both 2x4 legs the same length since the floor is probably out of level or the top 2x2 might be slightly out of level.
Once both legs are cut and screwed to the top shelf, the rest of the assembly goes lightning fast. Simply level each shelf as you go. A screw gun or a drill with a Phillips head bit in the chuck will make this job very easy.
The Three Inch Rule
I am planning to build additional shelving in my basement. I will modify my design slightly. I want to minimize the amount of air space above the objects on my shelves. In other words, if I want to store gallon paint cans, I want there to be just a 1/2 inch clearance space between the object and the 2x3 front beam of the shelf above.
To achieve this goal, you must keep in mind certain dimensions as you install the back wall 2x2 cleats. Let's say you want to have 10 inches of clearance between the top of a shelf and the 2x3 shelf beam above. To do this, you must install the back wall cleats so that the top of the one cleat is 15 inches higher than the one below! You will loose the three inches in the following way: The shelf itself is 1/2 inch higher than the lower 2x2. The 2x3 beam of the upper shelf hangs down 2.5 inches from the top of the upper 2x2 cleat. 2.5 inches plus 1/2 inch equals 3 inches. Don't forget this rule......!
Following are very simple front and side plan views of my storage shelves. The dashed lines you see are telling you that something is hidden behind the object that is at the surface of the paper. Use these plans in conjunction with the 3D views to help you visualize the entire system. Note that the front 2x4 legs do NOT have to extend to the ceiling. They only need to be as high as the top surface of the top shelf.
Start the project by attaching the 2x2's to the back wall. Don't forget about the Three Inch Rule for clearance purposes!
Simply put, if you want to slide a 12 inch object onto a shelf, the top of the 2x2 support for the shelf above must be 15 inches higher than the shelf where you intend to store the object. The thickness of the shelf and the height of the 2x3 account for the three inch difference. Install the top shelf first once all 2x2's are in place. With the shelf drooping after it has been attached to the 2x2, immediately attach a vertical 2x4 leg at each corner. With the 2x4's in place, the rest of the shelves install in a jiffy! Be sure to level the shelves front to back as you attach them to the vertical 2x4 legs.
I have only drawn three shelves in this 3D perspective view. I did that for the sake of simplicity.
You may only decide to do three shelves or possibly six or seven. I guarantee you that once you build your first set and see how strong they are, you will be building more.
Keep in mind that you can actually place a shelf upside down if you need a curb to restrain balls or other objects. If you decide to do this, be sure to screw the shelf into the 2x3 with two inch long screws at six inch intervals.
Column B249
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